Here's how it works:
1. Transcription: DNA in the nucleus contains the genetic code for a specific protein. This code is copied into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule.
2. Processing: The mRNA undergoes processing, including the addition of a cap and tail, and the removal of non-coding sequences (introns).
3. Export: The mature mRNA molecule is then exported from the nucleus through nuclear pores.
4. Translation: In the cytoplasm, the mRNA binds to ribosomes, which read the code and translate it into a specific sequence of amino acids, forming the polypeptide chain.
So, the mRNA acts like a blueprint, carrying the instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where the protein is assembled.
